Hey y'all, I'm Danielle - the crazy behind this blog, where I share my creative life adventures as I survive life as a momma of 5 superheroes & wife to my best friend & fellow nerd. Life doesn't have to be perfect to be GREAT! You can reach me at danielle (at) busymomshelper.com - ABOUT -

My Hubby is a Google+ addict. Not over-the-top crazy, but it’s the social media he prefers. I’m often found browsing Pinterest and Facebook, he’s on G+. What’s awesome, though, is when he comes across a good idea for a recipe on there, and we can add it to our menu. That’s what happened with these Spicy Thai Chicken Wraps!

I’m so glad he found the inspiration for this recipe because it was totally delish! He’s a spicy-lover, and I’m not…yet it was just the right amount for both of us. Not sure how it worked out that way, but it was perfect! These Thai Chicken Wraps are a great meal, or just serve the chicken alongside some pasta or veggies.

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #YesYouCan #CollectiveBias

I love easy meals, don’t you? I especially love them when it’s cold or stormy outside, like it is this week in Texas. TONS of rain and thunderstorms! Nothing says ‘comfort food’ to me than a nice soup in a yummy bread bowl. To warm us up, why not a Slow Cooker Enchilada Soup?

While my hubby loves his food more on the spicy side, my kids tend to prefer it mild – this recipe is super easy to switch based on tastes. Just choose mild, medium, hot or even find a super hot if that’s your thing!

Grab all the needed ingredients quickly at Walmart, including some delicious bread bowls from their bakery. Don’t miss out on the perfect ConAgra products such as the Hunt’s diced tomatoes and Rosarita refried beans to make this simple recipe! They help save you time – so you can get other things done, or have more time to curl up in a fluffy blanket on a rainy day!

Ingredients

2-3 lbs. Chicken Breast, boneless, skinless – diced

Two 15.5 oz. cans Pinto or Black beans

1 small can Chopped Green Chiles

1 28 oz. can Enchilada Sauce

1 28 oz. can Hunt’s Diced Tomatoes

1 can Rosarita Refried Beans

12-24 oz. Frozen Whole Kernel Corn

12 oz. Chicken Broth

1 Garlic Clove, minced

Bread Bowls

Directions

Put all of the ingredients, EXCEPT the bread bowls and refried beans, into your large slow cooker. Cook on high for 4-6 hours or low for 6-8 hours (make sure chicken is cooked through).

Use a spatula to spread the refried beans inside the bread bowls, so it’s lining it. Scoop the soup into the bowl and enjoy!

Kitchen Hack!

Save yourself some time peeling large garlic cloves with this awesome kitchen hack – take a bulb of fresh garlic and break it up just a bit (like at the top pointy part). Place between two metal bowls and shake aggressively a minute. Your individual garlic pieces should be nice and divided from that annoying, flaky outside layer.

Today I’m sharing with y’all a recipe I grew up loving, although I’ve tweaked a few things to make it work with my own family’s taste preferences! I love flexible recipes like these Layered Beef & Veggie Enchiladas – you can change the level of spiciness according to who you’re feeding, leave out certain ingredients if your family isn’t a big fan – just make it yours!

Like a lot of cheese? Add more. Hate mushrooms? Leave them out. Use your favorite type of tortilla! This is totally the type of recipe that you can custom fit to your tastes, leaving one very happy tummy!

Who else here is a huge fan of dips? I love grabbing a bag of chips and some delicious dip for snacks, or even when I’m too hurried for lunch some days! There’s so many good recipes out there, but one of my favorite dips is this creamy Salsa Verde!

I originally shared my Creamy Salsa Verde back in 2013, and although I’m still a big fan of that particular recipe, I’ve made some changes so it’s now near perfection! We were craving this so bad the other week that we whipped up a batch, all excited…and realized we had NO CHIPS. Ugh! So Hubby drove to the store right then, even though it was like 9pm, and grabbed a couple bags. when you want a dip fix, you WANT a dip fix!

Directions

Remove the pit from your avocado and scoop the good stuff into the blender. Add your Jalapeno Tabasco, adding more for a ‘hotter’ flavor and less for more ‘mild’. It’s easy to add more if you decide it’s too bland, so just add a bit to start then add a bit at a time until you reach your desired taste!

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #PepItUp #CollectiveBias

We’re down to two weeks people. TWO WEEKS! Count them…one…two. That’s it, and it’s Christmas. While I’m sitting here calmly as if I’m totally on top of things, in my head I’m in a million different directions going through half a dozen lists and screaming like a lost child. Needless to say, I don’t have a lot of free time right now! Luckily, I can still whip up delicious, comforting dinners in hardly any time at all, like these Hormel Pepperoni Stuffed Peppers!

The weather is really getting colder (for Texas), so although I admit I have served pb&j for dinner more than once already this month, I like to make yummy foods that can help warm us up. That this recipe includes veggies definitely helps, too!

These stuffed peppers have just the right amount of spice to them that give your taste buds a little tickle. You can adjust by adding more or less chili powder. Pretty much anything in this recipe can be adjusted as to amounts, so you’re free to cater it to what YOUR family prefers. My kiddos were so funny, they kept saying they were eating ‘baby pepperonis’, and loved that they were so mini. I think they were perfect for these peppers, and was so glad I found them!

The regular sized might be too much per bite, and I didn’t want to spend time cutting them up. I’m all about the easy the next couple of weeks! You can even nab a Hormel coupon to Save $1.00 on the purchase of any two (2) HORMEL® Pepperoni packages: http://www.hormel.com/Coupons.aspx (while supplies last)

Note: We ate 1 green pepper per adult, kids about 1/2 each.

Ingredients

1-pack Hormel Pepperoni Minis, Original flavor

1 lb. Pork Sausage, cooked

4-6 Large Green Peppers

2-3 Roma Tomatoes, diced

1 cup Mushrooms, diced, if desired

1 tsp. Garlic Powder

1 tsp. Onion Powder

2 tsp. Oregano

Dash of Chili Powder

2-4 cups Mozzarella Cheese, shredded

Directions

Make sure the green peppers are washed, the tops are cut off and the insides discarded. Preheat your oven to 350 Degrees F. Line a baking sheet with foil and place the green peppers (open side up) on it. Set aside.

In a bowl, combined the Hormel Pepperoni Minis, sausage, diced tomatoes, mushrooms, and all seasonings until well-mixed. Gently stir in about 1 cup of the cheese.

Stuff the green peppers with the pepperoni mixture, being careful not to tear the sides, until almost full. Top with more shredded cheese, a dash of oregano, and a few more mini pepperonis.

Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until peppers are tender. Serve warm, and store any leftovers in the fridge.

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #SeasonedGreetings #CollectiveBias

Wow, the holidays are already proving to be crazy busy and full of fun, especially all the get-togethers. I’m loving seeing so many family and friends, and don’t forget the amazing food! Today I’m sharing not one, but Three Delicious Party Food Recipes to help with your festivities!

Perhaps you have some long-time friends coming by for a weekend visit, or are hosting a neighborhood wrapping party? I’m getting together with some of my good friends early next week to do some pre-Thanksgiving baking prep, and it’s going to be a blast! Whatever the gathering, it’s so important to have some trusted, amazingly flavorful and quick-to-make recipes on-hand for you to feed the masses, or even just a few good friends!

For these delicious party food recipes, swing by Walmart to grab your ingredients. You’ll find the ‘secret’ behind the fabulous flavor in all of these is the Tabasco sauce in Original Red, Jalapeno, and Chipotle! You can find them in the condiments row, near the BBQ sauces.

Stock up and try any of these yummy flavors in some of your other holiday party recipes. Sometimes you can play for a bunch of people coming over to your house, other times it may be just a pleasant surprise! Regardless, be prepared to feed whoever something that will be knock-your-socks-off delicious!

My entire family loved this Jalapeno Cheesy Bread, and how couldn’t they with all that amazing cheesy-ness?! It has just the perfect amount of savory jalapeno flavor in the bread, and it’s accented by the melted toppings. Serve as a great appetizer, snack or on the side!

Ingredients – Jalapeno Cheesy Bread

3 cups All-purpose Flour

1 tbsp. Baking Powder

1 tsp. Salt

2 tbsp. Sugar

8 oz. Cream Cheese, softened

1/4 cup Tabasco Jalapeno Sauce

1 cup Milk

1 tbsp. Vegetable Oil

1-2 cups Colby Jack & Monterey Jack Cheese

1/4 cup Green Onions, diced

1/4 cup Butter, melted

Directions – Jalapeno Cheesy Bread

Preheat oven to 350 Degrees F. Spray or line a bread pan, set aside. Combine the first 8 ingredients together until a nice dough forms. If it’s still really sticky, add a bit more flour. Gently need into a loaf shape, then put into pan. Bake for 40-50 minutes, or until cooked through.

In a bowl, mix the colby cheese, green onions and butter together. Cut the top of the bread into a checkered pattern. Stuff the cheese mixture inside all the cut lines into the bread. Cover the entire loaf with foil and bake for another 15 minutes, or until cheese is melted.

One of my favorite parts of this Honey Spice Chicken is that it’s totally versatile! Add more or less of the tasty Tabasco sauce so it’s the right amount for your own preference. You can also top with a bit more honey drizzled on the chicken after it’s cooked to adjust the flavor combinations……I’m drooling just thinking about this dish!

Ingredients – Honey Spice Chicken

2-3 Chicken Breasts, boneless & skinless

1 tbsp. Olive Oil

8 tbsp. Butter, melted

1 tbsp. Garlic Powder

1 tsp. Pepper

3 tsp. Salt

1 cup Honey

1/4 cup Tabasco Original Red Sauce

1 tbsp. Soy Sauce

2 tsp. Lime Juice

Directions – Honey Spice Chicken

Preheat oven to 375 Degrees F. Spray or line a baking dish and place the chicken breasts inside with a single layer. In a bowl, combine all of the ingredients (except chicken) until well-mixed. Pour over the chicken breasts.

Bake for 35-45 minutes, or until chicken is cooked fully through.

If desired, drizzle a bit more honey over the chicken right before serving.

This Chipotle Pasta is now Hubby’s and our exchange students favorite pasta! Full of a rich, creamy sauce and veggies, the mixture of flavors in this recipe can win over any party guest!

Ingredients – Chipotle Pasta

1 box Penne Pasta

2 tbsp. Lemon Juice

3 tbsp. Honey

3 tbsp. Olive Oil

1 cup Tabasco Chipotle Sauce

1 Yellow Pepper, diced

1 Red Pepper, diced

2 tbsp. Garlic, minced

1/2 cup Onion, diced

2 cups Heavy Cream

1-2 cups Frozen Peas

1 cup Parmesan, for topping

Directions – Chipotle Pasta

Cook pasta according to package directions.

In a large skillet (or WOK, if you have one), heat the lemon juice, honey and olive oil over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and onion and cook about two minutes, or until starting to lightly brown. Add the peppers and cook until slightly tender. Add the Tabasco, heavy cream, and frozen peas. Heat until peas are warm. Mix in the pasta and continue cooking until everything is heated through.

I must be on a tomato kick lately, because I’m sharing ANOTHER fabulous recipe today that features some tasty cherry tomatoes. It must be the summertime-food love getting me, since tomatoes SCREAM summer! This Spicy Alfredo Pasta is deliciously fresh and summery!

I originally used the Alfredo sauce on my Chicken Alfredo Pizza, and it was lick-your-fingers good! As you know, we love pasta, and since I was craving something with Alfredo but with a nice, little ‘kick’ to it, I thought this would be the perfect combo. Tossing in the fresh tomatoes and broccoli really give it some nice texture, and amazing flavor!

Of course, I got caught dipping some of the cherry tomatoes in the sauce while making the pasta, so we didn’t end up with AS many in the actual Spicy Alfredo Pasta….but it was too dang good to resist! Yes, my lack of self-control is embarrassing, at times!

Ingredients

2 tbsp. Butter

1 Garlic Clove, minced

1 tsp. Red Pepper Flakes

1 cup Heavy Cream

1 tbsp. All-Purpose Flour

1/4 cup Parmesan, shredded – plus some for topping

1 box Penne Pasta (we use whole grain)

2 cups Cherry Tomatoes

2 cups Broccoli Florets

Directions

Cook Pasta according to box directions.

Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, melt the Butter over medium heat. Add the Red Pepper Flakes (adjust based on your desired ‘kick’) and minced Garlic, cooking about 1 minute or until fragrant.

Mix in the Flour; cook until light tan in color. Mix in the Cream, reduce heat and simmer until thickened, about 2-3 minutes. Add the Parmesan, stirring until melted in, then remove saucepan from heat.

Slice the Cherry Tomatoes in half lengthwise. After draining the pasta, add the sauce, tomatoes and broccoli, stirring until well-mixed.

Flash first made this for me when I was better able to stand spicy food (pre-babies). I loved it then, and I STILL get to love it because it’s so easy to adjust the spicy-ness of this meal. Even our non-spicy-family members think this is a winner!

Directions In a saucepan, combine the hot sauce, brown sugar, and the fruit juices from three fruits. Simmer on medium-low heat for about 7 minutes.

Pour all but two cups into a slowcooker with the chicken and the pineapple and orange chunks. Cook on low for about 7-8 hours. Set aside the extra 1/2 cup of the sauce for the rice.

When the chicken is almost done, cook the brown rice according to package directions, except for substituting 1/2 cup of water with 1/2 cup of the extra sauce.

When the chicken is done, shred or cube it over the rice. Use the set aside juices to pour over top.

Notes: This is for a spicy version. For more mild, just reduce the hot sauce and replace that amount with water. For our kids, we do 1 1/2 cups hot sauce and 1 1/2 cups water substituted. Keep in mind, the pineapple will absorb a lot of the spicy flavor, so they will be spicy!!!